Sri Lanka Ramayana Tour

Posted on by Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

According to Ramayana King Ravana abducted the wife of Rama (Sita) and kept her in secret places in Lanka. Sita was hidden in the hill country of Sri Lanka, where there were jungles, caves, mountains, Rivers, waterfalls, green-capped mountains and lush green surroundings. The name Lanka is mentioned many times in Ramayana, and it is proved beyond any doubt that it is Sri Lanka, which the author of Ramayana, Valmiki, refers to as Lanka. Against the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s unparalleled role in Ramayana, the Sri Lanka Ramayana tour is an inescapable tour itinerary for the believers of Hinduism.

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What is Sri Lanka Ramayana tour?

Sri Lanka harbours a large number of reminiscences from the Ramayana Era. Sri Lanka played a big role in Ramayana and according to Valmiki’s Ramayana, Sri Lanka was the home country of King Ravana. Queen Sita was kept in a secret place in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Ramayana tour is an ideal tour to visit some of the important places mentioned in Ramayana.

Sri Lanka Ramayana Tour

Sita Amman temple is one of the most important sites in Ramayana and includes every Sri Lanka Ramayana tour. Sri Lanka Ramayana tour essentially includes many places mentioned in the Ramayana epic story. Sita Amman temple, Ashok Vatika, shankari devi shakthi peetha and 3 places are included in every Sri Lanka road trip planned to cover Ramayana sites.

The epic Ramayana

Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic story that describes a war that erupted between Rama and Ravana, the ten-headed demon king, due to the abduction of Sita by Ravana. Written by Valmiki, the exact date of the incident is not clear to historians until today. As the story describes, Ravana had ruled the country of Lanka while Rama had been a prince from the Kosala kingdom of India.

Useful reading

According to Ramayana King Ravana abducted Sita

According to Valmiki, Sita is one of the most important characters in the story and her abduction led the entire story to unfold. The entire story revolves around Sita, her abduction and the rescue mission of Sita.

King Ravana abducted the wife of Rama ( Sita ) and kept her in secret places in Sri Lanka. Sita was hidden in the hill country of Sri Lanka, where there are jungles, caves, mountains and beautiful surroundings. The name Lanka is mentioned many times in the Ramayana, and Sri Lanka has played a noteworthy role in the Ramayan story. This Ramayana tour is all about the narration of the epic story.

The ‘Ramayana’ elaborates the adventures of Rama when his noble wife was abducted by the demon king Ravana and held captive in the Asoka Vanam of his mountain capital in Lanka. Rama called on the monkey king Sugriva, the monkey general Hanuman and Jambana the bear king for help. These three belong to the Golden Age of Hindu mythology when deities walked upon the earth and all creatures – human and animal – shared the same speech.

However keeping Queen Seethe in captivity, created a lot of problems for King Ravana, so he had to hide her in several places. According to legend, she had first been hiding close to Welimada at the Paranagama Sthripura Gal lena (Cave). She had stayed amidst tight security and this made her sick. This made King Rawana who wanted to find a solution to her sickness.

There are about 50 important places within the border of Sri Lanka related to the Ramayana story and some of them are included in most Sri Lanka Ramayana tour packages. These 50 places are mentioned in the Ramayana story from the abduction of Sita to the demise of King Ravana.

What is the duration of the Ramayana tour in Sri Lanka?

The duration of this particular Ramayana tour is 4 days. The duration of most of the Sri Lanka Ramayana tours is one or two weeks,  it might not be possible to visit all these places within a week and therefore most Sri Lanka Ramayan tour packages include only several important Ramayana sites in the program. Sita Amman temple, Asok Vatika, Divurumpola temple, and Koneswarama, are some of the places included in most Sri Lanka Ramayana tour packages.

What are the 5 most important places to visit on the Sri Lanka Ramayana trip?

  • Sita Amman temple
  • Ashok Vatika
  • Divurumpola temple
  • Karandagolla temple
  • Munneswaram temple

What is the program of the Sri Lanka Ramayana Tour?

  • DAY 1 SRI LANKA RAMAYAN TOUR :: AIRPORT / KANDY
  • DAY 2 SRI LANKA RAMAYAN TOUR :: KANDY / NUWARA ELIYA / KANDY
  • DAY 3 SRI LANKA RAMAYAN TOUR :: KANDY
  • DAY 4 SRI LANKA RAMAYAN TOUR :: KANDY / COLOMBO 
Sita temple, ramayana

Importance of Nuwara Eliya for the Sri Lanka Ramayana tour

Nuwara Eliya also known as Little England for its cool climes, British architecture and natural beauty is also promoted as a sacred city because of its link to the “Rama Sita” love story. Sita Amman Kovil is dedicated to Sita, and it is part of every Sri Lanka Ramayana tour package. 

There are many temples dedicated to Rama and Hanuman, especially in North India, but the Sita Amman Kovil in Sri Lanka is unique in that it is the only one in the world dedicated to Sita alone. As per the Ramayana epic story, the demon king Ravana, who was the king of Lankadepa abducted Sita and held her in his capital Badulla.

Ramayan tour: visiting Sita Amman temple

Scattered across Sri Lanka, from the northernmost city of Jaffna to Sri Lanka’s hill country, many hundred Hindu temples, and Hindu Kovil serve as places of worship and reminders of the principles of Hinduism.

But none of these Hindu architectural gems holds the symbolic and historical value of the Sita Amman temple. The temple sits on the southern slope of Sri Lanka’s hill country, which is one of the most important reminiscences of the battle Rama-Ravana. Sita temple is one of the most important holy pilgrimage sites on the island for Hindus and is visited by many Hindus from all around the world.

The travellers encounter Sita Eliya as they go down the mountains in the southern direction, this region marks the administrative capital of might King Ravana.

The Hindu temple is serving Hindu devotees for many hundred years and it is one of the oldest Hindu religious sites in Sri Lanka. However, it has become very popular among Hindu travellers in recent times, and a large number of travellers are attracted to the temple from India over the last decade. According to Valmiki, who mastered the Ramayana, it has been an obscured place since about seven thousand years ago. King Ravana concealed Sita at the place, which later became the residence of the modern Sita temple.   

The place where she stayed in India was similar to Nuwara Eliya with a cool climate and beautiful surroundings. Therefore he took her to Nuwara Eliya where she was permitted to go about freely. The place she stayed came to be known as Sita Eliya.  A beautiful Hindu temple was built at a later period where Queen Sita was held. Earlier the temple was known as “Sita” Kovil and it is called “Seedai Amman” at present. The Hindus make vows at the temple since they believe that there is a miraculous power in it.

Sita Ela, where Sita bathed

Adjoining the Sita Kovil is a stream known as the “Sita Ela” according to legend when Sita came to reside at Sita Eliya there had been no stream and all her needs of water had been supplied by the king.

Once when she got angry with the King she refused to drink the water supplied by the king by saying “it is better to die than stay in captivity of an enemy” dashing her head on the rock. By dashing the head against the rock, she was not hurt instead because the opening emerged on the rock gushing the water. Today the point is called Sita Ela. It is believed that Sita Devi had taken the oath and undertook ‘Agni Pariksha’ at the same place where the Sita Amman temple is situated.

Sri Lanka Ramayana trip: Kondagala

According to the legend queen, Sita had very long hair and she found it very difficult to dry it after a bath. Therefore once she had a bath, she used to spread it across a big rock which is today known as Kondagala.

Ramayan tour Sri Lanka: visiting Ahsok Vatika

Asok Vatika or better known as Haggala botanical garden is the place, where Sita Devi was hidden by Ravana once he abducted Sita. Sita had refused to stay at the palace of Ravana and it was another reason for Ravana to keep Sita in Asok Vatika. Ravan’s wife, Mandodari had met Sita at Ashok Vatika. According to Ramayana, Hanuman was searching for Sita all over the island and it was at Ashoka Vatika he first spotted Sita.

Sita Devi was staying at Asok Vatika till the end of the war between Rama and Ravana, which caused the end of Ravana. According to the Ramayana huge destruction had been done to the Ashok Vatika by monkey god Hanuman, as he was searching for Sita on the island.

Creation of Adams Bridge by Hanuman

Adam’s Bridge, which is located between Rameshwaram, South India and the island of Mannar, North Sri Lanka is a stretch of limestone shoals, believed to be originated in the ice age. Adams Bridge used to be a land connection between two countries and connected northern Sri Lanka and southern India. There are many theories regarding the origin of the Adams Bridge, and one theory is that Sri Lanka had been a part of India before it broke away from the Indian mainland about 1,25,000 years ago.

According to Hinduism, this mysterious bridge was a legendary king of Rama in Ramayana, and according to the Hindu theory, the Adams Bridge is believed to be originated about 1,700,000 years ago. They have filled the narrow gap (ocean) between Sri Lanka and India with stones and earth in order to reach the island.

However, geologists are of the opinion that Adam’s bridge or better known as Palk Strait is in existence for more than 2 million years. In fact, it was in use during the reign of King Gajaba (113-135 AD). The king had used the bridge to invade Indian and release Sri Lankan war prisoners.  Today it can be clearly visible from the sky but a large portion of Adam’s bridge is washed off due to erosion.

The Adams Bridge is 30 km long and it shows vivid depth from the beginning to the end, it flu fluctuates between 3 feet to 30 feet. Therefore it is not navigable for the large vessels in this stretch. At present, the ships that are bound for the East Coast of India need to travel around Sri Lanka before reaching destinations such as Tuticorin, Chennai, Vizag and Paradip.

Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project is believed to be the solution to curtail the shipping route from east India to the west coast of the country. After the feasibility studies of the project in the 1990s, however, the project was not finalized until 2005. Upon successful completion of the project, the journey will be reduced by about 350 nautical miles and it will reduce the sailing time from 10 to 30 hours. Same time another 13 minor ports are also developed parallel to the main project, while fishing harbours and other infrastructure were developed in both India and Sri Lanka.

Rumassala is it a part of Himalaya?

Rumassala is another popular natural attraction in southern Sri Lanka, which has a close association with Ramayana. It is located adjoining the Galle harbour and it is a significant patch of forests with rugged terrain and high biodiversity. The trees and plants of Rumassala are believed to be very similar to vegetation in the Himalayas. According to the legend, Rumassala is a piece of land that originated in Himalayas.

Hanuman, the monkey god was left to India to bring a herbal plant to treat Laxmana, brother of Rama, who was wounded in the battle, Hanuman forgot the name of the herb and he brought a portion Himalaya with him. As he flew over Galle, a piece portion of the forest that he fetched from Himalaya fell down, this piece of the forest is today known as Rumassala.

Ritigala another piece of Himalaya

The nature reserve Ritigala is also believed to be originated as Rumassala, from a piece of Himalaya forest. Ritigala is most popular as a dry zone forest with many varieties of herbs. Ritigala forest is home to all major forest types of the island such as dry zone forest, rainforest, and mountain and semi-mountain forests.

Since the Ritigala accommodates all major forest types on the island it is one forest with very high biodiversity. Today Ritigala forest reserve is visited by large nu a ber of people mainly due to its historical value. There had been a Buddhist hermitage in the forest and It was inhabited by a large number of Buddhist monks. 

Even today the reminiscent of the Buddhist hermitage can be seen as ruins of a Buddhist temple. A large number of ruins can be seen within the forest and they are scattered in several places in the forest. Ritigala is a forest with a large number of caves, therefore, historians believe that Ritigala had the best conditions to be a Buddhist hermitage.

Sri Lanka Ramayana tour: visitng cave of Karadagolla

“This cave covers a huge area and can accommodate a large number of people, on one side of the cave is an open place while on the opposite side of it is a pond. A large number of artefacts and many Buddha statues can be seen in one corner of this mysterious cave. The environment of the cave is very calm and quiet. It has an unbelievable moderate temperature, which is totally different from the usual oppressive, hot weather conditions of the dry zone.”

Underground tunnel network mastered by Ravana

This is a description of the Ravana Cave of Karadagolla as it was seen in the past but this cave is not seen by most Hindu devotees who undertake the Sri Lanka Ramayana tour. The main reason is this cave is not included in most Sri Lanka Ramayana tour packages.

This cave is located in Karadagolla, on the Ella-Wellawaya main road. After travelling about five kilometres on the Ella-Wellawaya main road is the footpath, through the thick vegetation, which leads you to the cave. At the end of the footpath is an adventurous mountain climb and then one needs to use a rope to go down to the cave. The cave is located in an uninhabited area, which is dominated by thick jungle.  According to the historical information, there had been a stone bed in the cave. It is a spacious cave and it expands about 2 km along the north-south axis.

The people of Karadagolla believe it to be yet another underground cave attributed to King Ravana. King Ravana is believed to be ruling the island during the epoch of Ramayana (about 7000 years back). The King had built a sophisticated underground tunnel network crisscrossing the whole island, enabling easy and secure access to important places in the country, in case of an emergency. But this tunnel network is not included in any Sri Lanka Ramayana tour package due to the risk factors.

Exploring the Karandagolla cave

One needs to go down about 400 meters using a rope in order to reach the cave. Several people in the area have managed to enter the cave so far. But, since it can be dangerous, no one has tried to go to the deep end of the cave. People of the area believe this cave to be one of the great achievements of the ancient Sinhalese engineers. Villages opine that it is a valuable archaeological wealth of the country.

According to the people of the area, the cave is still in very good condition, while it is protected by unseen forces.  On some occasions, the visitors of the cave have seen the guards protecting the cave entrance. A figure of Naga king (snake king) on top of the entrance believes to be protecting the cave from external malicious forces.

One who enters the cave should worship the Naga king and obtain permission before entering the cave. Doing some harm to the cave arouses the anger of the snake, causing some ill-effect on the entrants. There are many interesting stories that exist among the people of the area, based on personal experiences while visiting this cave.

Ravana cave of Karadagolla is known to the people of the area since 1989. Recently another cave believes to be originated during the reign of King Ravana was discovered at a construction site in Ella. Several ancient literary works also justify the existence of a secret underground tunnel network of King Ravana. But no systematic studies or research were carried out in this regard so far.

If you would like to visit Sita Amman Kovil and other important historical sites related to Ramayana we recommend you Sri Lanka Ramayana tour.

Why should you take the Ramayana tour with Seerendipity

Seerendipity Tour is an entirely locally owned travel company with a head office in Colombo. The highly experienced local staff is a key strength of Seerendipity Tours, and they can plan your dream holiday to Sri Lanka.

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When you book a tour with us, you directly book the tour with the local company, which means there are no middlemen and therefore you can guarantee the best price. Simply get in touch with us and let us know when you travel and what you like to see.

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About The Author

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

administrator

The focus of this site is Sri Lankan travel. We at Serendipity Tours (Private) Limited, attempting to impart our valuable experience as travellers who have explored most parts of the country over the last decade. We are helping our valuable readers plan their memorable Sri Lanka trip with our travel expertise and experiences. In case you require any additional information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at admin@seerendipitytours.com. In addition, we can plan your vacation package or any other Sri Lankan travel-related needs.

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